Rotary engine abutment and operating means therefor



Mamh 1939- A. G HALVERSON 2,149,767

ROTARY ENGINE ABL'TMENT AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Jan. 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheb 1 Iii! g wkm.

jALV/N 6. HALVERSO/V March 7, 1939. A. GI HALVERS'ON 4 2,149,767

ROTARY ENGI'NE ABUTMENT AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Jan. 25, 1957- 2 Sheets-Sheg-t 2 JIIIIII a Patented Mar. 7, 1939 IUNHTED STATES Parent creme ROTARY ENGINE ABUTDIENT AND OPERAT-v ING MEANS THEREFOR 1 Claim.

This invention relates to rotary engines,and has for one of its objects the production of an efficient means for actuating the oscillating abutment in proper timed relation to permit the rotary piston to pass by the abutment.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple and eincient mounting of the rotary abutment to provide for a tight leakproof seal for the parts to insure efi'icient operam tion of the engine.

Other objects and advantagesof the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of my improved engine, certain parts being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

20 Figure 3 is a view taken on line 33 of Figure 2, certain parts being shown in section;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken through the housing of the oscillating abutment showing two positions of the abutment;

' Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of the engine certain parts being shown in section; v

Figure 6 is an edge elevation of the form show in Figure 5, certain parts being shown in section; Figure '7 is a fragmentary edge elevation looking at the opposite side edge to that shown in Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is an edge elevation showing a still further modified form of my invention.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that Ill designates the casing of the engine which is in the nature of a disc-like structure comprising a pair of similarly constructed sections H and I2, which are secured together by means of suitable bolts l3 which pass through the flanges l4 and 15 respectively. The casing I6 is provided with a circumferentially formed cylinder i6 similar to the structure shown in my co-pending ap- 45 plication Serial Number 116,606, filed December 18, 1936, relating to Rotary engines, and may be provided with suitable means similar to the said application for controlling the inlet and exhaust of the power medium. A piston ll travels within the cylinder l6 and is carried by a rotor I8; The rotor I8 is secured by a key 35 upon a shaft [9, said rotor carrying a bearing sleeve 20, which sleeve supports suitable bearings 2| and'the sleeve 20 moves within the housing 22. Wedge-like 55 packing rings 23 are carried by the casing I and engage opposite side faces of the rotor 18, as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

The upper end of the casing Ill carries an abutment housing 24 which is circular in formation and extends at right angles to the verticalj= axis of the rotor l8, as shown clearly in Figure 2. An oscillating abutment disc 25 is carried within the housing 24 and is provided with an aperture 26 which is adapted to register with the annular cylinder it at timed intervals to permit the piston-"1.0 ll to pass through the aperture 25 and to complete the cycle of the piston. The abutment disc 25 carries upon opposite faces thereof the countersunk sealing rings 2! to constitute a means for facilitating the sealing of the abut-- ment 25. within the housing 24 adjacent the cylinder I6 when the abutment disc 25 is in its closing position, such as is shown in Figure 2. The abutment disc 25 is journaled within the housing 24 and carries a journal shaft 23.

The disc is provided with a laterally extending ear 29 projecting from the periphery thereof, which ear 29 works within the slot 30 formed in the housing 2% and is engaged by an operating link 3i, the operating link 3! being 25 pivoted, as at 32, to the end of a crank arm 33 which is in turn pivoted as at 3%, upon a suitable mounting rod 34 carried by the casing Hi. The

rotor supporting shaft l9 carries a cam 35 which is keyed to the shaft as shown at 35 and engages 30 the crank arm 33 and swings the arm 33 in timed relation with respect to movement of the piston IT for oscillating the oscillating abutment 25 to and from proper registering position for permitting the passage of the piston ill by and through 35 the abutment 25. A coil spring 36 engages the arm 33 and the casing ill to return the arm to its normal position after it has been swung by the cam 35. The present invention relates particularly to the abutment actuating means and 40 the structure of the abutment, and hence no attempt is made to illustrate a valve mechanism for controlling the inlet and the exhaust of the power medium, and as stated above, any suitable means may be employed, such as is illustrated in my 00- pending application Serial Number 116,606, filed December 18, 1936, and this valve mechanism being adapted to be driven by a suitable gearing mechanism indicated in general by the letter A in Figures 2 and 3.

In Figures 5 and 6, there is shown a modified form of'my invention wherein a cylinder casing lila is illustrated, similar to the casing l, in which a suitable piston operates, and this casing Illa supports an abutment housing 31 in which is mounted an oscillating abutment 3B somewhat similar to the oscillating abutment previously described, this abutment 38 having an aperture 26a similar to the aperture 26 shownin Figure 2, and the abutment being carried by a shaft 39 which extends laterally of the housing 31, the housing 3! extending at right angles across the top of the casing Illa. An arm 46 is carried by the shaft 39 and adjustable circumferentially thereof, and engages a pivotally connected link 4| which in turn is connected by a ball and socket joint to a crank arm 42, which crank arm 42 is pivotally connected, as at 43, to the casing Illa. The cam 44 is carried by the driving shaft 45 which supports the rotor 45 and is adapted to swing the crank arm 42 in a manner shown in Figure 5. A coil spring 41 is connected to the arm 42 and to the casing Illa to return the crank arm 42 to its normal position. An adjustable stop 48 is secured to the casing 1a to limit the downward swinging movement of the crank-arm 4'2 and comprises a threaded pin 49 which is adjustably mounted through a bracket 50, a suitable lock nut being also provided.

The housing 31 carries a laterally projecting arm which supports a cushion spring 52, the spring being adapted to be engaged by a finger 53 adjustably carried by the shaft 39 to provide a resilient buffer against the rotation of the shaft 39 in one direction.

In Figure 8 there is shown a. still further modified form of the invention wherein a casing lllb is illustrated supporting an abutment housing 54, somewhat similar to the abutment housing 3'! and having an open side 55. An oscillating abutment 56 is mounted within the housing 54 and carries a projecting tongue 51 upon the side adjacent the opening 55. An arm 58 is carried upon a standard 59 and engages the tongue 51, the standard 59 being rotatably mounted within the brackets 60 carried by the casing I011. The standard 59 carries a yoke 6| at its lower end which is provided with a roller 62 for engaging the tapering end 63 of the crank arm 64, which crank arm is pivoted, as at 65, to the casing Iflb. This crank arm 64 is actuated by a cam 66 similar to: the cam 44 and keyed to the main shaft 68. A return spring 61 is provided similar to the spring 41 shown in Figure 5. As'the cam 66 rotates, the standard 59 will be pulled downwardly thereby rotating the oscillating abutment 56 in one direction, and since the standard 59 may rotate freely, it being swivelly connected at its lower end to the yoke 6|, the arm 58 may follow the arc of travel of the tongue 5'! as the rotary abutment 56 operates. The parts ,will be returned to their normal positions by means of the spring 61.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that a .very simple and efficient oscillating abutment and actuating means has been provided for a rotary explosive engine, whereby the oscillating abutment may be oscillated in timed relation with respect to the driving pistonvto permit the piston to pass through and by the oscillating abutment. The wedge-like piston rings 23 and 21 will provide an eflicient seal between the parts to prevent escape of the driving agent when entering the cylinder I6.

It should be understood that certain detail changes in the mechanical construction, combination and arrangement'of parts may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, so,long as such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:-

In combination with an engine casing having acylinder bore, a rotor carrying a piston rotatably mounted within the casing, the piston operating in the bore, a drive shaft carried by the rotor and rotating therewith, an abutment housing supported by said, casing and disposed transversely thereof, a disc-like abutment mounted within said housing and having an opening adapted to be moved into and out of registration with said cylinder bore when-the abutment is turned about its axis, an operating shaft for said abutment pivotally mounting the same, an arm secured to said operating shaft and adjustable circumferentially thereof, a link connectedat one end to said arm, an operating crank arm connected to the other end of said link and to said casing, adjustable means for limiting the swinging ,movement of said crank arm in one direction, means carried by said drive shaft for swinging said crank arm,

resilient means for returning thelcrank arm to 

